Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES `PATENT OEEICE.

C. T. STETSON, OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,993, dated November 2, 1858.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. STETsoN, of Amherst, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented sundry new and useful Improvements in Harvesting- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specication.

Figure l is a top view of my improved harvesting-machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a section in the line x a: of Fig. I; Fig. 4, a section in the line y y of Fig. 1 Fig. 5, a section in the line c z ot' Fig. 2; Fig4 6, a top view of afull-sized improved cutter combined with a finger and a section of a linger-bar, Fig. 7, a side view of the same, and Fig. 8 a section in the line z z of Fig. 6.

Similar letters indicate like parts in each drawing.

The rectangular frame ot' my improved harvesting-machine is composed of the timbers A C D E F G, whichV are arranged and combined with leach other as represented in the drawings. One side of the said frame is supported by the driving-wheel I, which is located inl a central position between the timbers E D, and the opposite side ofsaid frameis supported by the smaller wheels t t', which are pivoted between the prongs of the vertical shanks a n. The said shanks nu pass freely through apertures in the side beam, C, and the upper ends of the same are made fast to the adjustable beam B. The beam B is connected at each end to the beam C by means of the screws p p', which rise from the latter beam and pass through apertures in the former, where they are made fast by means of a pair of screwnuts upon each ot' said screws, the one above and the other below the said beam B. This manner of supporting the frame ofithe machine enables its inner side to be elevated or depressed at pleasure, and it also enables either end ot" said frame to be elevated or depressed for the purpose of giving the proper inclination to the fingers c c and the ngerbar a.

The cutting apparatus of my improved harvester is constructed in such a manner as to produce an oblique drawing cut between the moving and the stationary cutting-edges. This isaccomplishedbycombiningtwodouble-edged tapering cutters, b b', with a single shank, b,

and then forming thefulcrum-pivothole of said cutter in a central position in the forward end of its shank b preparatory to jointiug the same to every other nger in the finger-bar.

It will therefore be perceived that the innermost edges of my improved oscillating cutters act in conjunction with the two edges of the ngers to which the said .cutters are pivoted, while the outermost edges of said cutters act in conjunction with the cutting-edges of the intermediate fingers.

A steel cutter-plate, o,is combined with each linger to act in conjunction with my improved oscillating cutters. Another advantage resulting from this myimproved method ot'constructing the cutting apparatus ot' a harvester is that the number of joints is reduced one-half when compared with any other arrangement of pivoted cutters, which necessarily produces a diminution of friction at thesame time that it greatly diminishes the liability to acidents.

The ngers cc are combined with the ngerbar a in any suitable manner. The after end of each cutter-shank b is jointed to the reciprocating bar e, which is operated in the manner represented in the drawings. At its inner end the finger-bar a is jointed to the verticallysliding head j by means of the pivot s. The sliding head j plays freely between the guiding-cheeks lc 7c, which descendfrom the under side of the beam C. The lower end of the said sliding head j is bolted to the central portion ot a stiff plate, whose perforated ends Z l inoline upward and loosely embrace the shanks of the screws m m, which project from the under side of the beam G, and thereby form selfadjusting fore and aft braces to the said sliding head. The joint-pivot q of the angular lever g passes through the sliding headj, and is embraced by the guiding-blocks r r, which play loosely in vertical slots in the cheeks Ick. The angular lever g is connected to the lower end of the reciprocating cutter-bar e by means of the short pitman t', and the upper end of said lever is connected with the propellingcrank H by means of the pitmanf. Motion is imparted to the crank-shaft by means ot' a toothed wheel 011 the shaft of the driving-wheel I gearing into a toothed wheel on the shaft J, and by a toothed wheel on the latter shaft gearing into a toothed wheel on the crank-shaft.

An upwardly-curving stiff arm, ce', is securely fastened to the inner end of the finger-bar a,

and the extremity of said arm plays loosely between the guiding-cheeks d d, which are secured to the side ot' lthe beam A. The said curved arm a prevents an injurious degree of straining action from being exerted upon the pivot s or upon the cheeks 7c 7c, which guide the sliding headjof the cutter-barin its movements, and consequently the e'eet of the said arm a and its guiding-cheeks (Z d will be t0 canse both ends of the said cutter-bar to freely vibrate up and down to such an extent as will enable said cutter-bar to adapt itself to the vafor the purpose of redueingthe number ofjoints in the cutting apparatus, substantially as herein set forth.

2. Combining an inwardly-extending curved arm, a', with the inner end of the iinger-bar, when the vibrating end of said arm is made to play between guidingeheeks or in a guidinggroove, and the said inner end of the linger-bar is jointed to a vertically-sliding,` head, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

The abo ve specification of my improvements in harvesting-machines signed and witnessed vthis 19th daylof April, 1858.

CHARLES T. STETSON. Witnesses:

Z. G. RoBBINs, J oHN HENRY. 

